Kingdom Fresh Produce's Jaime Garcia Details Strong Cucumber Market Going Into Summer
DONNA, TX - Kingdom Fresh Produce. When I hear that company name, I immediately think of cool cucumbers, an abundant program of year-round produce, and a team primed for retail success and industry growth. As July kicks off, Kingdom Fresh is ramping up its cucumber shipments from Torreon, Mexico, with buy-side partnerships and the consumer plate in mind.
“There is a very strong demand for cucumbers right now, and it will continue to exist due to the rainy season which we have entered early this year,” Jaime Garcia, General Manager, shares with me. “This year, the months with peak production have been a bit later than usual, but the high markets also started earlier. We foresee a very strong summer market since we are expecting a lot more rain than last year.”
Currently, Kingdom Fresh is growing and harvesting American Slicers and is starting to plan for a mini cucumber program for the end of the year. The company has cucumbers year-round in this region and plans its operation in three different stages in order to overlap supplies and provide customers consistent product all year without interruptions.
“Every year, the demand for protected produce grows more and more due to the higher quality and shelf-life span of the items,” Jaime says. “We grow all our cucumbers hydroponically and in greenhouses, which gives us the advantage of reaching every corner of the country. The demand on these higher quality cucumbers gives our partners the flexibility of moving them in any market condition.”
The company will continue to ship all of its product through Texas to reach distribution points throughout the U.S.
“It’s our natural crossing point, and we have established a very strong presence in the state. If you take into consideration the exorbitant prices of freight for the past 18 months, Texas is a key position to target the Midwest and Northeast,” Jaime reveals.
He adds that the team has become a one-stop shop for dry veg in the past two years.
"When we started our diversification into cucumbers, we realized that we needed the green bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, and eggplant so we can add more value to our items. This has been very well received with our customers and partners, and we are currently in an expansion of more volume on these items,” Jaime expresses.
With the cucumber market powered by heightened demand, keep checking back with AndNowUKnow as we keep our finger on the pulse of the popular category.
